IKE many churches, charities
and
non-governmental
organisations, The Salvation
Army was caught by surprise
when violence broke out across
Kenya following national elections
in 2007. Seemingly out of nothing,
approximately 1,300 people were killed
and 600,000 displaced.
Despite being caught off-guard,
Salvation Army personnel – employees,
soldiers, officers and friends – did what
they could, opening the gates of their
compounds for people looking for shelter
and safety. They assisted in camps that
were set up for people displaced by the
violence and worked with the Red Cross
and other groups.
In the run-up to the next elections in
2013, preparations were put in place to
deal with the outcome of renewed unrest.
Supported by International Emergency
Services, a ‘conflict preparedness’
workshop took place in Nairobi.
Delegates explored the root causes of
past problems – including inter-tribe
difficulties – and identified the locations
with a high potential for conflict. They
analysed local capacities for protection,

by Damaris Frick and Elise Belcher
described the relationships between
groups in the weeks leading up to the
coming elections and created emergency
checklists for families, communities
and institutions.
In addition to preparing and
equipping 20 locations in hotspot areas
for the potential sheltering of people
fleeing from violence, many excellent
peace-promotion initiatives took place.
Nairobi Central Corps Band, for instance,
led a march for peace that finished with a
rally, organised by several organisations,
to promote peace. More than a million
people were estimated to be on the streets
that day!
Local initiatives included smaller
peace marches with banners and the
distribution of preparedness checklists.
Throughout, The Salvation Army
worked in collaboration with other
stakeholders and became an active
member at coordination meetings. When
the request was made for ‘safe centres’ to
be prepared in various slum areas, The

‘It was powerful to see people who could be divided
by territorial or tribal lines praying for peace together’
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JU LY–SEPTEM BER 2017

Above: a Muslim girl who was invited to participate
in the ‘song for peace’ records a solo part

Salvation Army was the only organisation
able to offer support, with corps (church)
halls turned into coordination hubs for
safe shelter and planned distribution
points. As it transpired, they were not
needed in 2013 because the election was
largely peaceful, but the threat of violent
protests remained.
As a result of The Salvation Army’s
good work and coordination during the
build-up to the election, it was then asked
to take on psychosocial and practical
support responsibilities after the Westgate
shopping mall attack in 2013 and the
Garissa college attack in 2015.
This year in August there will be
elections again and The Salvation Army
in both Kenyan territories (Kenya East and
Kenya West), supported by International
Emergency Services and International
Development Services, is planning to
take efforts even further.
A workshop attended by 50 delegates
from all across Kenya considered the

Photo: Community Albums

KENYA

Left: a young boy mobilises his community
to promote peace, as part of ongoing preelection peace-building activities;
above: Salvation Army officers from different
territories and tribes pray for each other

lessons that had been learned from the
previous years. In one session discussions
centred around how tribalism, biases
and prejudices contributed to conflict,
with delegates learning together that
they – and people in their communities
– actively have to choose not to let these
differences trigger conflict, but to work
together to build peace.
At the end of the day people were
asked to write a peace prayer or poem
which they then read to someone from
a different tribe. It was powerful to see
people who could be divided by territorial
or tribal lines praying together for peace
in their country and speaking peace over
each other.
As in 2013, the territories are preparing
safe locations in potential hotspot areas
but the wider peace-building efforts have
been increased significantly.
The initial results have been extremely
exciting and positive, as communities
are joining with The Salvation Army

to promote unity. A ‘song for peace’,
written by children across the country,
uses different tribal languages, and has
contributions from children who are
blind, others who live on the streets,
some who are Muslims, some at school,
some living without families – all to show
through words and music that ‘everyone
is somebody’ and ‘Kenya is home’.
The song and its accompanying video
deliver a powerful message of peace
and unity from the youngest members of
society. Look out for the final music video
on Salvation Army social media.
This peace-building initiative
has been supported by a partner
organisation, Community Albums
(www.communityalbums.com). Other
activities include school competitions,
sports activities, peace messages on car
stickers and banners, sermons, Bible
studies and marches.
The elections in 2007 left Kenyans
traumatised, shocked and ashamed. And

the rest of the world was amazed that
something like this could happen in what
seems to be (and is) a beautiful tourist
destination populated by lovely, warm,
kind people (they are!).
Nobody knows for certain what this
year’s elections might bring. People
are worried and there have been signs
of violence already. But others also
express hope.
The Salvation Army is not content to
just hope and wait, praying that all will be
well (although it will certainly surround
the whole situation with prayer). More
than that, it is actively setting an example
and pointing the way to peace.

Damaris Frick is Field Officer for The Salvation
Army’s International Emergency Services; Elise
Belcher is Community Development Coordinator
(Africa) for International Development Services
J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2017 | ALL THE WORLD |